FIGURES YOU WOOD LIKE SOMETHING MADE BY CHEEZ-EATIN' SURRENDER MUNKY FURRNERS INSTEAD OF A GOOD BOX OF AMERICAN WINE. USA! USA!

CHATEAU D' HOMO, MORE LIKE IT.

--------------It's natural to be curious about our world, but the scientific method is just one theory about how to best understand it. We live in a democracy, which means we should treat every theory equally. - Steven Colbert, I Am America (and So Can You!)

For a red wine, Diane and I were really taken with the Saintsbury Pinot Noir. Of course, context may have had something to do with that: the bottle had been provided by Ira Lee, the vintner who grew the grapes. We were visiting for the opportunity to take the hawks out in his vineyard. They flew around, chased a couple of jackrabbits, and that was about it for the hawks. I had to drive, so I only had a partial glass. Ira kept pressing Diane to have some more, so by the time we got on the road, she was quite tipsy. That was interesting, because she usually has little interest in alcoholic beverages, so I don't see her in that state much, or almost never.

Another winery that we took the hawks to was Blackwood Canyon in Benton City, Washington, back in 1993. After Rusty chased around their pheasants a bit, the vintner there gave us an extended private wine-tasting session that included most of what they made at the time, whites and reds, and even a vinegar and something they called "double nickel", a liqueur-like thing that besides having high alcohol content was a 55 on some sugar scale, topping the concentration you find in honey. (Whee, a mere $150 per 375 ml bottle now... at that price, we probably accounted for $5 each worth of just that at our tasting session.) We ended up buying several bottles of a late harvest Riesling there, which made an excellent dessert wine.

Chateau D'Yquem is good if you like dessert wines, sauternes, etc but I have to say that, whilst I love them, they're hardly a session wine or a frequent drinker. That's not a criticism, more an observation. They are after all GORGEOUS.

Now with wine, one can talk of the big reds, the clarets etc and they have their place (my favourite is Margaux, that region has some of the best terroir in France in my opinion. Ch. Palmer, Ch. Margaux. Love 'em! Ch. Margaux has been owned by the same [Greek origin!!] family for ~40 years and they IMO [and that of a few others] have produced the best red bordeaux in the Medoc for ages. Costs a bit though) one can talk of the New World (sorry boys, but I think you and the Antipodeans over oak the majority of your wines. Oaking disguises the results of poor terroir dontcherknow. That's not to say that the New World wines are all bad, far from it. But our British market is saturated with their cheap end oaked whites and shallow reds, it give is a bad impression) but you cannot beat a glass of Chateau de Chassellier eh Obediah?

Sorry, mum and dad own a restaurant, I grew up with wine, and as wine appreciation has a strong chemistry element, I sort of am kind of erm interested in it.....{trails off as wine geekery is acknowledged}

Now with wine, one can talk of the big reds, the clarets etc and they have their place (my favourite is Margaux, that region has some of the best terroir in France in my opinion. Ch. Palmer, Ch. Margaux. Love 'em!

Back in the early 1990s, on the advice of a friend, I put away a few bottles of Margaux. I finally opened a 1989 Prieure-Lichine last year and it was fabulous. I have a couple of 1988s that I am eyeing laviciously and a 2001 that I just stored away. I've just gotten back into wine recently and wish I had a chance at a 2000, but they are likely out of the range of my wallet now.

I can only imagine what a Grand Cru like Ch. Margaux must be like. There isn't much market for high-end stuff like that in Oklahoma, and what is here is usually from California.

--------------It's natural to be curious about our world, but the scientific method is just one theory about how to best understand it. We live in a democracy, which means we should treat every theory equally. - Steven Colbert, I Am America (and So Can You!)

Chateau D'Yquem is good if you like dessert wines, sauternes, etc but I have to say that, whilst I love them, they're hardly a session wine or a frequent drinker. That's not a criticism, more an observation. They are after all GORGEOUS.

Now with wine, one can talk of the big reds, the clarets etc and they have their place (my favourite is Margaux, that region has some of the best terroir in France in my opinion. Ch. Palmer, Ch. Margaux. Love 'em! Ch. Margaux has been owned by the same [Greek origin!!] family for ~40 years and they IMO [and that of a few others] have produced the best red bordeaux in the Medoc for ages. Costs a bit though) one can talk of the New World (sorry boys, but I think you and the Antipodeans over oak the majority of your wines. Oaking disguises the results of poor terroir dontcherknow. That's not to say that the New World wines are all bad, far from it. But our British market is saturated with their cheap end oaked whites and shallow reds, it give is a bad impression) but you cannot beat a glass of Chateau de Chassellier eh Obediah?

Sorry, mum and dad own a restaurant, I grew up with wine, and as wine appreciation has a strong chemistry element, I sort of am kind of erm interested in it.....{trails off as wine geekery is acknowledged}

Louis

Well sure, but when the price in Kansas is $180 for a split of D'Yquem from a good (not great) vintage, I'll make an exception. Hell, I'll even cook a dessert. I like a nice vanilla flan with Sauternes, and I have an excellent (Cuban) recipe for flan.

I agree with you about the Margaux, even if it was Richard Nixon's favorite wine. They are damn pricey over here though. While I was a post doc (late 1970's) I was fortunate enough to fall into a wine-tasting group in St. Louis, and one of the members was a very wealthy M.D. He treated us all to a vertical tasting of Ch. Margaux. My tasting notes indicate that we had the 1949, 1953, 1955, 1959 and 1961. The '49 and '53 were stunning, the '55 was not as good and was starting to fade, and the '59 and '61 were eminently drinkable, but probably would get even better with a few more years in bottle. I often wonder what that tasting cost him!

Even so, I have to say that my favorite red of all time was a 1959 Richebourg, which I had in the mid 1980's sometime. I haven't been able to drink any domestic pinot noirs since...

The St. Louis M.D. would also regularly fly to London to pick up wines at auction from the estates of deceased (probably cirrhosis) Brits. The best thing that I can recall from one of those excursions was a port. Vintage 1899. Yeah, a port from the 19th century. It had faded to a tawny color, but it still tasted fine.

But the-wine-tasting options here in Manhattan KS are not quite up to that caliber, alas. And neither is my budget..

--------------Flesh of the sky, child of the sky, the mindHas been obligated from the beginningTo create an ordered universeAs the only possible proof of its own inheritance. - Pattiann Rogers

For a red wine, Diane and I were really taken with the Saintsbury Pinot Noir. Of course, context may have had something to do with that: the bottle had been provided by Ira Lee, the vintner who grew the grapes. We were visiting for the opportunity to take the hawks out in his vineyard. They flew around, chased a couple of jackrabbits, and that was about it for the hawks. I had to drive, so I only had a partial glass. Ira kept pressing Diane to have some more, so by the time we got on the road, she was quite tipsy. That was interesting, because she usually has little interest in alcoholic beverages, so I don't see her in that state much, or almost never.

Another winery that we took the hawks to was Blackwood Canyon in Benton City, Washington, back in 1993. After Rusty chased around their pheasants a bit, the vintner there gave us an extended private wine-tasting session that included most of what they made at the time, whites and reds, and even a vinegar and something they called "double nickel", a liqueur-like thing that besides having high alcohol content was a 55 on some sugar scale, topping the concentration you find in honey. (Whee, a mere $150 per 375 ml bottle now... at that price, we probably accounted for $5 each worth of just that at our tasting session.) We ended up buying several bottles of a late harvest Riesling there, which made an excellent dessert wine.

My wife and I visited Blackwood Canyon back in 1994, and I have to say that it was the winery we liked least of the ones we visited that weekend. Each of the wines we tasted seemed heavily oxidized or off in some way.

On the other hand, one of the wineries in Central/Eastern Washington that we really liked to visit: Chinook Wines

Everybody makes 'chicken caesar salads' now, but the real caesar salad comes with anchovies. I'd never had them before, but I loves me some caesar salad. Curious, I bought the one can of anchovies i could find at Harris Teeter, and chopped a few up and make a real caesar salad.

Strange taste. ...different. kind of good, kind of bad. Strong as hell. Really stinky. But not necessarily bad stinky, more like Gorgonzola cheese stinky--it's very pungeant and you wouldn't want to wear that perfume to a first date, but the taste is not all that bad. Very strong and salty and I understand the popularity of the chicken substitution. The anchovies aren't a safe choice. But not bad. Give it a shot.

Ira kept pressing Diane to have some more, so by the time we got on the road, she was quite tipsy. That was interesting, because she usually has little interest in alcoholic beverages, so I don't see her in that state much, or almost never.

Chef: You're gonna have to get them in the mood.Stan: How do we do that?Chef: Do what I do. Get 'em goooood and drunk.

Everybody makes 'chicken caesar salads' now, but the real caesar salad comes with anchovies. I'd never had them before, but I loves me some caesar salad. Curious, I bought the one can of anchovies i could find at Harris Teeter, and chopped a few up and make a real caesar salad.

Strange taste. ...different. kind of good, kind of bad. Strong as hell. Really stinky. But not necessarily bad stinky, more like Gorgonzola cheese stinky--it's very pungeant and you wouldn't want to wear that perfume to a first date, but the taste is not all that bad. Very strong and salty and I understand the popularity of the chicken substitution. The anchovies aren't a safe choice. But not bad. Give it a shot.

Um...Richard, you mailbox is full. I guess I sent one too many pictures...

[/blushing]

I emptied it for you. That "nurse" one was excellent.

All you got was 'nurse'?

Shoot, dude, she sent me 'astronaut', 'pope' and 'ice cream lady'.

Pppphhht.

--------------"Rich is just mad because he thought all titties had fur on them until last week when a shorn transvestite ruined his childhood dreams by jumping out of a spider man cake and man boobing him in the face lips." - Erasmus

Lenny, you've told us how small your 'apartment' is, I can't believe that among your snakes and books that you have the room to brew beer.

--------------"Rich is just mad because he thought all titties had fur on them until last week when a shorn transvestite ruined his childhood dreams by jumping out of a spider man cake and man boobing him in the face lips." - Erasmus

Back in the early 1990s, on the advice of a friend, I put away a few bottles of Margaux. I finally opened a 1989 Prieure-Lichine last year and it was fabulous. I have a couple of 1988s that I am eyeing laviciously and a 2001 that I just stored away.

Quote

My tasting notes indicate that we had the 1949, 1953, 1955, 1959 and 1961. The '49 and '53 were stunning,

Of course you must now realise that I hate you both with envy inspired passion that borders on the holy!

Oh not really! Yup as indicated the problem with Margaux is they are not cheap and Ch Margaux are even more not cheap. I celebrated the sale of my first house, my wife's PhD and my PhD with Margaux...and later on champagne, but the Margaux was the real treat.

The '49 Ch Margaux.....one can but dream! And the late 80's vintages are just coming in like you say Carlson, they are meant to be very very good. {looks in wallet} I may wait a while!

Everybody makes 'chicken caesar salads' now, but the real caesar salad comes with anchovies. I'd never had them before, but I loves me some caesar salad. Curious, I bought the one can of anchovies i could find at Harris Teeter, and chopped a few up and make a real caesar salad.

Strange taste. ...different. kind of good, kind of bad. Strong as hell. Really stinky. But not necessarily bad stinky, more like Gorgonzola cheese stinky--it's very pungeant and you wouldn't want to wear that perfume to a first date, but the taste is not all that bad. Very strong and salty and I understand the popularity of the chicken substitution. The anchovies aren't a safe choice. But not bad. Give it a shot.

They're in the dressing too, I think.

A traditional caesar salad does not contain anchovies. Caesar salad is made with worcestershire sauce, which does have anchovies in it. Over the years, many places have started to use an anchovie paste in the dressing, and occasionally you will see sliced anchovie on the salad. These I hold in the same contempt as caesars with tomato or caesars that are not tossed until the dressing very lightly coats all the romaine without any pooling .

A traditional caesar salad does not contain anchovies. Caesar salad is made with worcestershire sauce, which does have anchovies in it. Over the years, many places have started to use an anchovie paste in the dressing, and occasionally you will see sliced anchovie on the salad. These I hold in the same contempt as caesars with tomato or caesars that are not tossed until the dressing very lightly coats all the romaine without any pooling .

That blipey what a jerk I'm going to ban him first let me make sure that he's wrong...

(wikipedia)

Quote

Contrary to popular belief, the original Caesar salad recipe did not contain pieces of anchovy; the slight anchovy flavor comes from the Worcestershire sauce, which does contain anchovies. Cardini was opposed to using anchovies in his salad, but some modern recipes now include chopped anchovy fillets or anchovy paste.

BAN ME WILL YOU! LET'S SEE HOW WELL YOU BAN WITH MY ANCHOVIE DOWN YOUR THROAT. HOMO.

I do love me some caesar salad. It was actually a little side project of mine on my recent national tour. I had an astounding number of caesar salads from coast to coast. Some good, a very few stellar, and many sorry-ass ones.

A traditional caesar salad does not contain anchovies. Caesar salad is made with worcestershire sauce, which does have anchovies in it. Over the years, many places have started to use an anchovie paste in the dressing, and occasionally you will see sliced anchovie on the salad. These I hold in the same contempt as caesars with tomato or caesars that are not tossed until the dressing very lightly coats all the romaine without any pooling .

That blipey what a jerk I'm going to ban him first let me make sure that he's wrong...

(wikipedia)

Quote

Contrary to popular belief, the original Caesar salad recipe did not contain pieces of anchovy; the slight anchovy flavor comes from the Worcestershire sauce, which does contain anchovies. Cardini was opposed to using anchovies in his salad, but some modern recipes now include chopped anchovy fillets or anchovy paste.

grumble grumble dammit...

Oh come on, Steve! If UD/DT has taught you anything, it's that being proven wrong is EXACTLY when you're supposed to ban someone!

--------------"Rich is just mad because he thought all titties had fur on them until last week when a shorn transvestite ruined his childhood dreams by jumping out of a spider man cake and man boobing him in the face lips." - Erasmus

This reminds me of the old joke: Irish coffee is the perfect food, since it's the only food in the world that combines sugar, grease, alcohol, and caffeine.

--------------"Rich is just mad because he thought all titties had fur on them until last week when a shorn transvestite ruined his childhood dreams by jumping out of a spider man cake and man boobing him in the face lips." - Erasmus